Record-Breaking Tornadoes Slam Midwest

John Bickley and Georgia HoweDecember 13, 2021

It’s Monday, December 13th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:

1) Record-Breaking Tornadoes Slam Midwest

The Topline: At least 90 people are dead after dozens of tornadoes ripped through six states early Saturday morning, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky.

Quote Of The Day: “This is the deadliest tornado event we have ever had, I think it’s going to be the longest and deadliest tornado event in U.S. history.”

– Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D)

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The Storms

Late Friday night, a massive storm system made its way across the midwest, which was experiencing unusually warm weather, creating the perfect conditions for tornadoes. Six deaths have been reported in Illinois and four in Tennessee, but Kentucky was the hardest hit by far, with the death toll expected to be over 100.

One tornado traveled over 220 miles, which if confirmed, would make it the longest traveled tornado in recorded history.

Most resources are going towards rescue efforts for victims who might still be alive, but the majority of deaths in Kentucky occurred at a candle factory in the town of Mayfield. Workers were there overnight trying to meet the Christmas season demand, and were directly in the path of the largest tornado, which decimated the factory. The latest update said just 40 of the 110 people working there had been accounted for.

A similar situation took place in Illinois where an Amazon warehouse was hit, killing at least six people.

Debate Over Climate Change

Many people were quick to blame climate change for the storms, including FEMA Chief Deanne Criswell, who said, “this is going to be our new normal” because of climate change.

Those comments received some pushback from those who pointed out tornado outbreaks in December have occurred numerous times over the last ten years.

According to the NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, there has been no increase in the frequency or intensity of tornadoes over the last six decades. They say “we don’t know” if climate change plays a role.

Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg / Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images

2) U.S. Inflation Reaches Record High

The Topline: New government data shows the economy continues to struggle amid record levels of inflation.

Inflation

On Friday, the government released a report revealing how consumer prices had skyrocketed by 6.8% over the past year, which is the highest inflation rate of this kind in almost 40 years.

These cost spikes are being felt in the basic daily necessities used by millions of Americans, such as food, energy, housing, cars, and clothing.

For Example: Gas is up 58% in a year. Used cars are up 31%, while new cars are up 11%. Utilities are up 25%, and basic food items have increased, such as eggs (up 8%), coffee (up 7.5%), and milk (up 7%).

The White House

The latest numbers stand in contrast to the narrative being pushed by the Biden administration, which touts how they are steering the country through a successful economic recovery.

They’ve celebrated increased wages, even though these wages are being outpaced by inflation, and have lauded reduced unemployment rates, even though this is often because people aren’t leaving or changing jobs at usual rates.

Last week, President Joe Biden shared a graphic on social media which tried to present his job numbers as a record for a new president, claiming his administration has created nearly 6 million new jobs, but Biden came into office after around 9 million people were forced out of their jobs due to COVID-19 lockdowns.

Media Coverage

Last week, it was reported that the Biden administration met with journalists to lobby the legacy media towards more favorable coverage on the economy.

CNN reported, “The White House, not happy with the news media’s coverage of the supply chain and economy, has been working behind the scenes trying to reshape coverage in its favor.”

According to sources, Biden officials were briefing newsrooms across the country, and it appeared as if some of them were quick to discuss the economy in more positive terms, such as CNN’s Don Lemon and CNBC’s Jim Cramer.

(Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

3) Prosecution Rests In Ghislaine Maxwell Trial

The Topline: On Friday, the prosecution wrapped up its case in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial in federal court.

The Prosecution

The government rested its case against Maxwell earlier than expected, potentially because they believe they have presented sufficient evidence to the jury to prove their case, or because the remaining witnesses who won’t be called speak more to Epstein’s actions than to Maxwell’s.

The government has made a compelling case against Epstein, but probing Maxwell’s culpability has been more difficult. On Friday, alleged